High School Students Blow Audience Away With Fairytale Waltz To Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’

Jul 22, 2022

If dance is, as they say, poetry in motion, then the students of one Hungarian high school have taken the art form to almost Shakespearean heights.

According to classical Greek philosopher Aristotle, the rhythmic movements encapsulated in dance “represent men’s characters as well as what they do and suffer.” In a sense, that means watching performers move to sound or music in a rhythmic fashion can elicit emotions within a person as it triggers memories, feeling and even sensations. 

This is done by applying the general principles of dance, which is moving the body in a way that it doesn’t usually do in everyday life to express and communicate emotion. 

“To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking,” American dancer and choreographer Agnes de Mille once said. Dancers regularly describe the act of performing as an escape from reality and a time when they feel like they are in a world of their own. And sometimes, this feeling can be transferred on to the audience.

A dancer’s lithe and rhythmic movements can draw them into a performance and they may relate or connect to emotions the dancer is trying to express. Sometimes it is just the aesthetically pleasing visuals of watching dancers in sync and in motion that draws emotions out of their audiences.

Such was the case at a high school dance performance in Budapest, Hungary. A video taken at the Sandor Weores School in December 2017 captured a group of teen students putting on a performance that was nothing short of enchanting at their school’s basketball court. 

Even before the music started, the audience could see how impeccably the students were dressed – the young women in full, floor-length, white ball gowns, and the young men in their strapping black tuxedos.

Once the notes of the song “Willow” by Jasmine Thompson began to play, only the girls glided forward gracefully first, creating a sight of pure elegance as their full skirts billowed around them. In line, they filled out the court space almost from end to end, looking like a small sea of cotton balls moving in unison ever so exquisitely.

Comparable to brides on their special day, the dolled-up girls began executing their practiced routine with grace and charm. This was sure to have brought a tear to the eyes of their fathers watching from among the crowd. The girls swayed and swirled back and forth in line before finally settling down on the ground in anticipation of the entrance of the boys.

As the boys made their way down to the end of the court, the girls began to rise one by one. Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” then began to play, and each boy and girl coupled up to begin a waltz so unimaginably tender and sweet.

In their own charming interpretation of the Viennese waltz, the boys twirled their partners round in unison, letting their gowns flutter around them. The girls appeared to almost be hovering as they moved around the floor nimbly. Hand in hand, the couples were a vision of beauty, youth and softness. Coupled with the aching strains of the sentimental song, it would come as no surprise if anyone’s emotions were to get the better of them at this point of the dance.

The couples then break up to form five smaller circles, continuing the waltz and trading dance partners in between. The charm of the girls was equally matched by the gentlemanly poise of the boys, reminiscent of newlyweds taking to the floor for their first dance. 

As the song died down, the audience jumped to their feet and gave a round of rapturous applause. As they continued to clap, they were in for a treat as the song replayed, treating them to a few more magical moments. The dancers spread out in one large circle before each couple moved to form two lines of couples and the music ends. Again they were rewarded with thunderous applause.

The beauty of the dance was also not lost on viewers of the video, which has racked up more than one million views. Commenters were quick to praise the teens, saying the dance was not only beautiful but emotional as well.

“All schools should do this!!” read one comment, while another read, “I’m a teacher and this brought tears to my eyes; well done teenagers.”

“What a beautiful song to complement this huge group of amazing young people. I LOVED IT!!!” another user commented.

“How lovely. Well done to each and every one of you and bravo to your teachers. They obviously value the career they have chosen for themselves,” read another comment.

“Honestly just so beautiful and elegant.”

Hopefully, their performance will inspire other schools to do the same, if only to give the world an extra bit of magic and beauty for us all to enjoy.

What did you think of the performance? Did it evoke any emotional memories from your past? Let us know, and pass this on to anyone you know who needs some magic in their life.